


Rain Burns Up the Shadows

by voleuse



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-21
Updated: 2010-06-21
Packaged: 2017-10-11 10:34:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/111492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/voleuse/pseuds/voleuse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><em>A woman throws a kiss meant for you but it's caught by a stranger</em>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rain Burns Up the Shadows

**Author's Note:**

> Set during S7. No spoilers. Title and summary adapted from Alex Stolis's _What I Learned at 33 1/3_.

Faith found Willow and one of the kiddie Slayers in the garage, peering at the open, sparking panel in Buffy's stomach. Willow was prodding something with a pair of needle-nosed pliers, and there was a whirring sound that sounded entirely too much like a--

"What the hell?" Faith asked the universe, and then she noticed the _real_ Buffy leaning against the wall. "Is this a clone situation?"

Buffy snorted. "Faith, meet the Buffybot." She shook her head at Faith's gesture. "I'd rather not explain why, but we've got one." The whirring stopped abruptly, and Willow yelped. "It's been broken for a while, but we might as well use it."

Faith crossed her arms. "Can she fight?"

"Yup." Willow fumbled in a toolbox before selecting a screwdriver. She handed it to the kid--Diana? Dianne?--and dusted her hands on her jeans. "It did patrols for a while, back when Buffy was dead. The second time."

"Cool." Faith watched as Dianne fiddled with a few wires, and the robot's arm jerked upwards, fingers curving around an imaginary stake. "We can split into smaller groups. Maybe cover more ground."

"Yeah," Buffy said, "maybe next week. I don't want to send the girls out with it until we know it's working properly."

"Hey!" Willow protested.

"No offense," Buffy qualified, "but it's not like it's programmed for teaching."

"What _is_ she programmed for?" Faith asked. "Patrolling, kicking ass--"

The robot's hips gyrated, once, then twice.

"I _really_ don't want to talk about it," Buffy said, and Faith snickered.

"I can take her," Faith suggested. "I'll follow her lead, see if she's cool."

Willow shut the panel, and then skin compressed until it looked golden and unmarred. Perfect. "Ready for a test run."

The robot blinked and smiled wide. "I love running."

*

The two vampires struck from the roof of the building, falling on them like heavy rain. Faith cursed and rolled away, but the robot stood her ground, slamming one into a wall and staking it. "Boom," it said.

Faith laughed, flipping to her feet in front of the second vampire. She twisted as it rushed her, shoving her stake through its ribs. "Nice going, B."

The robot grinned. "You're very flexible," it noted. "It's very attractive."

"Whatever turns you on," Faith quipped, gazing appreciatively at the robot's disheveled skirt. "Do all your parts work?"

"We should run a diagnostic," the robot said. Its fingers felt real against Faith's waist, and Faith leaned forward. Then she heard a sound behind her: clapping. It was a hollow, hard sound, and when she whirled, Kakistos was standing there, blood dripping from the wound she gave him, years and years ago.

"Well done, Slayer," Kakistos brayed. "How deft you've become."

"You're dead," Faith said. "I killed you." She backed up a step, and the Buffybot grasped her shoulders, lending weight and warmth to her chilled skin.

"What's this?" Kakistos said. "None of your little friends want to play?" He leered. "Nobody wants you, even now."

Faith felt panic start, low in her belly, but she pushed it down, boxed it away. "You can't be real. You're the First, right?" She clenched her fist around her stake. "What do you want?"

The image of Kakistos wavered. "Maybe I want you," he said. "We'll talk later."

And then he was gone.

Faith tucked her stake into her belt. Her hands were trembling. "Fuck," she groaned.

"Okay," the Buffybot said, and its hand edged inside the front of Faith's jeans.

Faith jerked. "What are you doing?"

"Running a diagnostic," the robot replied.

Faith arched against clever, clever fingers. "Seriously?"

"Who were you talking to?" the robot asked. Its other hand was snaking under Faith's tank top, unsnapping her bra.

Faith turned her head. "You didn't see him?" She bucked as fingers slid inside her. "God. It was like a vampire ghost or something."

The Buffybot frowned, as if thinking. "There are some supernatural things I can't record," it confessed. "Willow says it's because I'm mechanical."

"Tinman hasn't got eyes _or_ a heart," she mused, then broke into a moan. "You are really fucking good at this," she said.

"Thank you," the robot replied. "When you're finished, will it be my turn?"

Faith laughed, reaching behind her to shove a hand under the robot's skirt. "Why wait?" she asked.

The Buffybot gasped, and it sounded almost genuine. "Ooooh," it cooed. "Yes, like that."

Faith ground her hips against the robot's fingers, letting her head fall against its shoulders.

"Weirdest patrol ever," she told the universe, and then she discovered the robot wasn't wearing any panties.


End file.
